Baptist Convention of New England Newsletter  April 3, 2018
 
 
I often lead workshops for pastors of small churches. I typically ask start by asking the question: "What keeps small churches and churches led by bi-vocational pastors from being as Kingdom-minded as they would like to be?" Great discussions follow about the challenges small congregations face  ( read more ).
 
Your Missionary to New England,
Dr. Terry W. Dorsett
Executive Director 
Bi-vocational Ministry Has Benefits & Challenges
by Erik Maloy, Pastor of First Church in Charlestown, MA

When I became pastor of First Church in Charlestown -- one of the oldest churches in Boston -- in July 2015, a large portion of our community thought that the church was closed and the building was abandoned. The congregation consisted of about eight older people who had been attending the church for decades. We have grown slowly over the last three years, and we have been blessed to see people begin to grow stronger in their faith in that time. One of the challenges of pastoring a small church is that the church is unable to provide a full-time salary for me, and I am currently bi-vocational.
The Struggle Is Real
by Joe Souza, BCNE Pastoral Leadership Development
 
Recent surveys on the spiritual landscape in North America reveal both good and bad news. The good news is that the situation for churches is not as bleak as some people thought it would be. The bad news is that there are a lot churches out there that are struggling.  If a church is struggling, it is essential to do an honest evaluation of the causes. 
Don't Marginalize Small Churches

The young, exciting, big churches get a lot of good press and are often highlighted for their success. Perhaps rightly so. They have a lot of energy and resources to have an impact in their communities. But what about the small churches like mine -- God's little churches?  Many smaller churches are not growing. Some are shrinking. No new members are coming in, and the existing members are slowing down and passing on into heaven. What about churches like mine that don't see 100 or 50 or 25 baptisms a year? 
  READ MORE 
A Note of Encouragement
by Ray Allen, Massachusetts Baptist Association Director of Missions

"Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass." Psalm 37:5

In the gospels, the miracles of Jesus were usually prompted by problems. He turned water to wine because the supplies at the wedding feast had run out. He healed Peter's mother-in-law because she was in bed with a fever. He calmed the storm because the disciples were panicked. He fed the multitude because of hunger.
Sandlots, Whirlpools & the Cooperative Program
by Travis Southern, courtesy of Baptist Press

EDITOR'S NOTE: April 8 is Cooperative Program Sunday in the Southern Baptist Convention. For information and resources about Southern Baptists' channel of missions and ministry support, nationally and internationally, go to sbc.net/cp.

RICHLAND, Wash. (BP) -- What do sandlots and whirlpools have to do with the Cooperative Program? When I was young, we would spend seemingly endless summers at either one of two places: the baseball diamond or a neighborhood swimming pool.
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